Happy Together
by WhiteWings9
Summary: A chance meeting leads to friendship and, perhaps, more. Prussia/England. WIP.
1. Prologue

**Happy Together  
><strong>**Prologue  
><strong>

Gilbert was lighting an illicit cigarette in the park when he first saw Arthur. Arthur was sitting on a bench, nose-deep in a pocket-sized paperback – what the title was Gilbert could not tell, as the book was wrapped in a sleeve of brown wrapping paper.

It was weeks after they have struck a friendship that Arthur showed he had been reading trashy porn.

Arthur was browsing the modern classics section in the library when he first saw Gilbert. Gilbert was sitting at a book-strewn table, seeming to be tutoring an awkwardly burly boy. He had an affectionate expression that caught Arthur's eyes.

Gilbert would one day introduce Ludwig to Arthur as his younger brother.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's comment<strong>

I don't really want to say much at this point in the story as I'm not 100% certain of the direction it's going to take ^^;

This is the first multi-chapter fic I've written in a long time and it's something I'm having to grow accustomed to. At the moment there isn't any real focus or plot – the whole thing might simply turn out to be massive character studies on Arthur and Gilbert – but I hope to let things develop on their own. Well, we shall see =)


	2. Chapter 1

**Happy Together  
><strong>**Chapter 1**

Their first proper meeting was in a Subway restaurant where Arthur worked part-time. Gilbert watched as Arthur totted up the bill with violent jabs of his finger at the computer screen, then looked up and said with a forced smile, "Would you like to upgrade to a meal deal for only £1 extra? The meal deal includes a drink and a choice of either a cookie or crisps."

"Er, no thanks."

"Eating in or taking out?"

"What? Er, eating out."

Arthur's finger hovered indecisively over the screen, brows furrowed as his brain processed Gilbert's reply, before giving the screen a final jab.

"That will be £4.29 please. Do you have a Subcard?"

"A what?"

"A Subcard," Arthur repeated with a touch of impatience. "It's a loyalty card. You collect points with every purchase – one point for every 10p you spend – with which you earn free sandwiches – five hundred points for a six inch sandwich and a thousand points for a footlong – and various other offers. Would you like one?"

Gilbert's mind reeled from the figures. "Er, so I get free stuff with this card?"

"Yes," Arthur said, then pulled his lips into a grimace as if remembering to smile, adding, "The Subcard is free."

"Okay," Gilbert acquiesced, and watched as Arthur knelt to rummage under the counter. As the seconds ticked by, the rummaging grew more violent and Gilbert heard a loud bang followed by a quiet 'Shit!' before Arthur re-appeared over the counter, rubbing his elbow.

"I'm sorry, but it seems we have run out of Subcards," he said, managing to sound both sullen and apologetic at the same time.

Gilbert burst into laughter.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's comment<strong>

Yes, I've worked in a Subway restaurant. The pressure is unbelievable! In spite of the wholesome image the company promotes, it is still a fast food restaurant and god be damned if you're slow on the line! There is also the 101 questions you have to ask: "What bread would you like it on?" "Would you like it to be six-inch or footlong?" "Would you like it with cheese?" "Would you like it toasted?" "Would you like a drink to go with your sandwich?" It goes on and on, and under intense pressure to be quick we fire our questions in garbled form in one breath: "Whatbreadwouldyoulike? Sixinchorfootlong? Cheeseandtoasted? Salads? Sauce? Anydrinks? Cookiesorcrisps? Eatinginortakingout? That'llbe£XpleasedoyouhaveaSubcard? Thankyouhaveaniceday!"


	3. Chapter 2

**Happy Together  
><strong>**Chapter 2**

As it turned out, Arthur and Gilbert were attending the same university. The first time they hit the Student Union bar together, Arthur had declined alcohol and, much to Gilbert's amusement, ordered half a pint of Coca Cola instead.

"You teetotal or something?" Gilbert had asked, taking a healthy swig of his beer.

"No," Arthur replied, and Gilbert knew from the thirsty envy in his green eyes that he was not lying.

Inquisitive by nature, Gilbert subjected Arthur to many probing questions, wanting nothing short of a life history. Slightly embarrassed, Arthur answered his questions. Arthur Kirkland, turning twenty in April, was currently in his second year of his three-year course in English literature. He was the first person in his family to enter higher education, he admitted with a sheepish grin. He came from a big all-male household with four siblings besides himself; two older brothers, two younger twin brothers, and a strict father who ran a pub.

"What about your mother?" Gilbert asked.

"She died five years ago in a car accident," Arthur said. Gilbert winced. "It's okay," Arthur said hurriedly, before Gilbert could apologise, with a reassuring smile. Then, suddenly conscious of having done most of the talking, he asked Gilbert about himself.

"Me? Er, I'm a second year too, studying automotive engineering. Family of four; my dad and mum, myself and my little brother… Oh, and my granddad lives with us too. Family of five. You should meet _alte Fritz_, he's the coolest guy I know! He's a war veteran and he tells the most amazing stories! Listen! He was there when…"

And Arthur listened as Gilbert chattered on, smiling to himself. After a while Gilbert announced he was thirsty and went to the bar to order some more beer, fishing out a crumpled note from his pocket and tossing it onto the beer-soaked counter. He returned to their table with two plastic pint cups of _Kronenbourg 1664_.

"They don't serve with glass after nine," he sniffed, offering one of the cups to Arthur.

"I don't think I should…" Arthur began.

"Oh go on!" Gilbert said, thrusting the pint under Arthur's nose and slopping a little over the side. "I can't drink them both at once, and it'll go flat and be a waste of beer!"

"…Okay, just one then. Thanks."

Two hours and several more pints later, they were at the bar tossing back vodka and peach schnapps, laughing raucously and leaning weakly against the counter. As the clock ticked to midnight the place emptied of students; many were headed home, grumbling about morning lectures, but a few were planning to move to waterholes licensed to open for longer. Gilbert and Arthur, absorbed in their own merriment, did not notice the emptying venue nor the time until the bell rang for last orders.

"Two tequila shots, please," Gilbert requested of the barkeeper as he pulled his debit card from his wallet, his voice edged with a newly-surfaced harsh-sounding accent. "With salt and lime!"

"Oooh, feeling adventurous, are we?" Arthur giggled girlishly, not noticing that he had planted his elbow in a puddle of beer.

"Why not?" Gilbert shrugged, punching his pin number into the card machine. Then he grabbed the salt shaker and said, "Here, gimme your hand."

Gilbert did not notice the blush creeping into Arthur's face as he placed a wet kiss onto the back of Arthur's hand. He shook salt over the wet spot, did the same to his hand, then poised himself, rocking back on the heels of his feet.

"Ready?" he grinned.

Arthur nodded numbly, took hold of his shot glass, and after a count to three they knocked the drink back together.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's comment<strong>

I have LadyKnightofHollyRose to thank for helping me clean this chapter. Some of the longer passages read a little too wieldy for my liking and it's thanks to her that it at least flows ^^;

Arthur and Gilbert's characters are slowly shaping in my mind now, though I'm not sure if I've adequately written them in this chapter. I don't want to tell you in footnotes like this about their characters - why don't you tell me what you make of them in your feedback instead? It'll really help tell me if I'm getting things across clearly =)


	4. Chapter 3

**Happy Together  
>Chapter 3<strong>

Arthur stirred awake. The first thing he was aware of was his thirst; he tried to moisten his lips but his tongue provided all the comfort of dry sandpaper. He threw the covers off himself and swung his legs to the floor, immediately regretting it as stars burst into his vision.

"Shit!" he muttered, dropping his head into his hands.

His mobile blared suddenly to life, flashing and vibrating violently, skittering across the bedside table to the first bars of 'Rule Britannia'. Arthur physically cringed, and more to shut the noise off than anything else he fumbled to answer the call, nearly knocking the table lamp clean off in the process.

"Hello?" he croaked.

"Whoa! You don't sound too hot, Kirkland."

Arthur straightened up. "Gilbert?"

"Yeah, just calling to check if you're alive," Gilbert said cheerfully.

Arthur felt his heart leap and immediately felt embarrassed. "Yeah, I'm fine," he lied feebly. He wondered how much of a fool he made of himself last night and had to suppress a groan.

"Arthur? You alright?"

"Huh? Yeah, hold on a sec."

Arthur stumbled to his feet and waded through a sea of laundry to his wash basin. He turned on the tap and filled a glass with water, emptied it in a gulp and filled it again, and said in a less raspy voice into his phone, "Hello?"

"Wanna meet for breakfast?" Gilbert asked. "Well I say breakfast, the cafeteria's rolling out the lunch menu any minute now…"

Arthur choked on his water and spluttered, "What? What time is it?"

"Huh?"

"What time is it?" Arthur repeated, spinning wildly on the spot and grabbing hold of his alarm clock. Quarter past eleven. "Shit! I'm late for work! Sorry, I've got to go, bye!"

"Wait!" Gilbert said with an urgency that halted Arthur in his step. "Let's meet for dinner then. My treat. I'll text you the time and place."

"Thank you, Gilbert, but there's no need…"

"I insist!"

There was a brief pause. Then, sounding a little embarrassed, "I'll see you then, Arthur. Bye."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's comment<strong>

I'm sorry it's so short! It's also very uneventful orz

I had wanted to write more before posting, but felt that the scene ended nicely here and anything I might add will feel tacked on. Which would be an immense pity because from here on things iwill/i be more eventful. Hopefully ^^;

I'm sorry again, this is a pretty pathetic length orz 


End file.
